they talked about the need to reach a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. >> i've been working people of both parties with the help of business leaders and ordinary americans to come together around a plan to grow the economy. a plan that would protect the middle class, cut spending and ask the wealthiest americans to pay a little bit more. i will keep working with anyone who is serious about getting a comprehensive plan like this done. we are now just -- all tax rates are going up. a will get a lot smaller. it would hurt middle-class families and businesses that depend on your spending. congress can prevent it from happening. leaders are working on a way to prevent this tax hike on the middle class. if an agreement is reached i will urge the senate to hold an up or down vote to protect the middle class from the income- tax hike. it could pass both houses a bipartisan majority. but they still want to vote no, that is their prerogative. they shall let everybody else vote as well. we cannot afford a politically self-inflicted wound. the housing market is healing. the unemployment rate is t